Best Teacher Gives Out Half Of $1m Prize Money

By Chuks Ekpeneru

A primary school teacher who won the $1 million prize money in the Global Teachers Prize has pledged to give out half of the money to nine fellow finalists in the competition.

Ranjitsinh Disale, a teacher at Zilla Parishad Primary School, in the village of Paritewadi in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, was chosen as winner from more than 12,000 nominations and applications, from over 140 countries around the world.

The award, which is run by the Varkey Foundation in partnership with UNESCO, celebrates “exceptional” teachers who have made an outstanding contribution to their profession.

He was recognized for his efforts in promoting girls’ education at the school, whose pupils are mostly from tribal communities.

Disale who is from Paritewadi said he learned the local language of the village in order to translate class textbooks into his pupils’ mother tongue.

He said the decision to share the prize with the other finalists was pre-determined.

“When you apply for this award, you have to mention how you will you spend the money. So, it was a pre-decided thing, and I have not taken this decision spontaneously or in wake of an emotional outpour,” Disale said.

Teachers work for outcome, not for income, and these teachers are doing tremendous work and they should also get the reward, he said.

“I want them to feel like winners and be equally happy,” Disale said, adding that this was his second attempt for the award and the process got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Disale had earlier been recognised by Microsoft as the Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, and also won the National Innovation Foundation’s Innovator of the Year Award in 2018.

From the prize money he plans to establish a Teachers Innovation Fund, which will help teachers like him bring ideas for students.

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